Portable clothesline prop



Patented Aug. 21, 1951 PORTABLE CLOTHESLINE PROP Wilbert Knight and Claris E. Pritchard, Pittsburgh, Pa.

Application October 2, 1947, Serial No. 777,532

1 Claim. 1

This invention relates to a portable and adjustable clothes line prop or polev that is convenient, handy and economical to manufacture.

An object of the invention is to provide a prop or pole of this character, that is easily adaptable for inside or outside use, and is easily adjusted to any height desired within the length of the pole as originally designed.

Another object of the invention is to provide a prop or pole of this character, having a quick, detachable clothes line means at the upper end thereof.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the invention consists of the novel details of construction, arrangement and combination of parts more fully hereinafter described, claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of an embodiment of the invention in full extended position;

Figure 2 is an enlarged, vertical, sectional view, partly broken away, on the line 22 of Figure 1 and Figure 3 is a sectional view on the line 33 of Figure 1.

Referring more in detail to the drawing, the clothes line prop or pole embodying the invention is generally designated by the reference numeral II]. The prop or pole I comprises an outer tubular member II and an inner tubular member I2, the member I2 being telescopically received in the member II with enough clearance to permit free sliding movement of the member I2, but to prevent any lateral movement thereof. The tubes can be made from rust resistant metals or suitable composition having the required strength for the purpose designed or they may made from a suitable plastic. Thus the prop or pole, due to the material from which it is made, will withstand any weather conditions encountered during its use.

The lower end of the member II is provided with a removable tip I3, which may be made of rubber, rubber composition or plastic or any other material suitable for this purpose. That is to prevent the prop or pole from slipping on cement or concrete surfaces or any other type of surfaces which may be encountered during the use of the prop or pole.

Extending downwardly from the upper end of the member II is an elongated slot I4 having short downwardly inclined branch slots or inserts I5 formed in communication therewith in the member II.

The member I2 has a rod or lever I6 which extends through the diameter of the member at right angles thereto, to be secured at its end I! to the member I2, as shown in Figure 2. The rod or lever [6 extends outwardly of the member I2 through an opening I8 therein, and is provided with a knob I9 on its outer end. When the member I2 is inserted into the member II, the rod or lever I6 is received in the slot I4 in the member II.

If the rod or lever I6 remains in the slot, the members II and I2 can be easily moved with relation to each other. In use, however, when the rod or lever I6 is inserted into one of the branch slots I5, as shown in Figure 1, the members II and I2 will be retained in adjusted fixed relation to each other. With the rod or lever I6 extending entirely through the diameter of the member I2, binding of the two members is eliminated during the sliding movement of the members.

The upper free end of the member I2 is provided with diametrically opposed openings 20 to receive the outturned ends 2| of the quick detachable helical shaped spring clamp 22. The clamp 22 is adapted to receive a clothes line between the helicals thereof and, being flexible, by the nature of the material, will permit a slight sway of the prop or pole during a stiff breeze to prevent falling of the prop or pole.

In use, the prop or pole, as described, is used in the conventional manner, except that it is adjustable for height to raise a clothes line connected to the clamp at any desired height from the surface on which the lower end of the prop or pole is resting.

It is believed that the operation and construction of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art, and it is to be understood that changes in the minor details of construction, arrangement and combination of parts may be resorted to, provided they fall within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the appended Claim.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

A quick detachable helically shaped spring clamp for a tubular telescopically arranged clothes line prop having diametrically opposed openings in the upper end thereof, comprising a pair of straight opposed and alined leg portions, outturned ends on the lower end of each of said leg portion at right angles thereto, said outturned ends adapted to be inserted into the openings in said prop to retain said clamp on said prop when said leg portions are compressed inwardly and REFERENCES CITED said clamp comprising two helicals providing a. T f n at f V-shaped clamp which is adapted to be engaged g g g f g erences are 0 record m the with a clothes line and retained on the clothes line by the spring action of said spring clamp 5 UNITED STATES PATENTS when said leg portions are released. Number Name Date 295,895 Bartlett Apr. 1, 1884 W R KNIGHT- 909,82! Seibert Jan. 12, 1909 CLARIS E. P H 2,215,759 Koehler Sept. 24, 1940 

